That's The Deal My Dear
by The Bard2
Summary: AU fic - Willow and Tara get back together, with the help of some old friends
1. Chapter 1

Title - That's The Deal My Dear 1  
  
Author - The Sorcerer Bard (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Pairing - Willow/Tara (and eventually indications of Buffy/Angel, Cordelia/Angel and Buffy/Spike )  
  
Spoilers - General Buffy season 6 and Angel season 3  
  
Setting - AU, most of the things in season 6 have happened but with some differences. Our beloved couple have split up after Will promised not to do magick but then preformed a spell that backfired. This shows them getting back together. Also Giles didn't leave Sunnydale (over which Anya was very annoyed and still isn't letting him forget it.)  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The TV Series) and everything related to it. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Greenwolf Corp, Sandollar Television Inc. and 20th Century Fox own Angel (The TV Series) and everything related to it. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Author's Note - The title of this fic is a line from the song Whenever, Wherever by Shakira. In fact the entire fic is based around a section of the song...  
  
Whenever, Wherever We're meant to be together I'll be there and you'll be near And that's the deal my dear  
  
The album is 'Laundry Service' and I recommend that you get it if you can coz it's great (well I think it is and that's all that matters.)  
  
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That's The Deal My Dear part 1  
  
Morning dawned at the Summers residence. It found Willow in bed where she had spent most of the past month. Buffy and Dawn had both convinced her to remain there while she went cold turkey from magick.  
  
"Breakfast." Buffy called a little too cheerfully as she brought a tray of food into her best friend's room.  
  
"Leave it I'm not hungry." the redhead just rolled over in the bed so her back faced Buffy.  
  
"Okay but you have to eat some of it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you haven't eaten much over the last week."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."  
  
"Fine." Buffy put the tray down roughly on the floor. It had been like this for the last six days, Willow was in a very depressed mood. Buffy knew that she missed Tara.  
  
Buffy turned and left the room without another word. She walked slowly down the stairs. Her mind was so caught up in thoughts of Willow that she almost didn't see Dawn at the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Dawny, hey."  
  
"How is she?" Dawn had been very worried over Willow's behaviour.  
  
"The same. We need to find Tara."  
  
"But she took off, no one's seen her in almost three weeks."  
  
"I know, but we have to try."  
  
"Angel." Dawn said snapping her finger.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why not ask Angel?"  
  
"Because ... Well ... It would be ... Uncomfortable." Buffy sounded like she was grasping at straws.  
  
"That's not a reason and you know it." Dawn put her hands on her hips and stared at her sister.  
  
"Fine I'll call him." Buffy headed into the living room and lifted the phone and dialled Angel's LA number.  
  
"Hi Cordy, is Angel there?"  
  
"Oh hi Buffy, yea, hang on a sec I'll just go get em." the former cheerleader responded.  
  
"Buffy?" Angels sonorous voice came through the phone a few seconds later.  
  
"Hey, um we've got a job for your detective agency."  
  
"Really? What is it?"  
  
"We need to find Tara."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Buffy went on to give him the details behind the blonde witch's departure. The conversation ended in Angel telling her that he and the rest of the gang would be there in a few hours.  
  
"Dawn, you should be going off to school." Buffy said as she put down the phone.  
  
"Fine." Dawn said a little grumpily as she headed for the door.  
  
Upstairs in her room Willow was lying on her side staring down at her breakfast.  
  
"What's the point?" she asked herself.  
  
"You've lost the most important thing in your life."  
  
"You lost her because you were too stupid to think first."  
  
"Now she's gone for good, forever." she flopped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"Forever." she repeated.  
  
"Nothing lasts forever." Willow heard Tara's voice say from the doorway.  
  
Willow sat up and spun to look so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. There was nobody there.  
  
"And now you're hearing things." the redhead muttered to herself as she lay back down.  
  
"When you need me I'll be there." Willow heard Tara's voice again but this time it was next to her in bed, "Whenever, Wherever. We're meant to be together."  
  
"We're meant to be together." Willow repeated the vision Tara's words.  
  
Almost three hours later there was a frantic knocking at the door. Buffy rushed to open it and let a smoking Angel in followed by Cordelia and Wesley.  
  
"Hello Buffy." Wesley greeted.  
  
"Hey, Buffy!" Cordelia said, she looked a lot different to when Buffy had last seen her.  
  
"Wesley, Cordy hi." Buffy said before turning to Angel.  
  
"Hey." he said a little uncomfortably.  
  
"Hey." Buffy said back. She noticed Cordelia looked a little uncomfortable too. In fact she seemed to be avoiding Angel's eyes, almost as if there were some unspoken feelings involved.  
  
"So you need us to find Tara?" Wesley asked, "She's blonde, a witch, about yay tall?"  
  
"Yea, that's her."  
  
"We'll find her Buffy." Angel told her.  
  
"How's Willow doing?" Cordy asked.  
  
"Not good, she's very depressed and she's going through magick withdrawal."  
  
"I'll go up and say hi, shall I?" Cordy asked moving to the stairs.  
  
"Yea, she's in the second door on the right."  
  
Willow was still laying on her back in bed when Cordy strode into the room and sat down on the edge.  
  
"Cordelia!" Willow exclaimed as she sat up.  
  
"Hey Willow, I heard about ... well you know ... everything."  
  
"You can say her name."  
  
"Tara, she just left you?"  
  
"She just dropped everything and left." Willow appeared on the brink of tears.  
  
Cordy felt a pulling on her heart, so strong that she did something very out of character. She reached over and pulled Willow into a comforting hug.  
  
Willow sobbed quietly on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ..."  
  
"Yea well just don't get any ideas I'm not into that sort of thing."  
  
Willow let out a short sharp laugh.  
  
"So you think you can find her?" Buffy handed Wesley a cup of tea.  
  
"On the amount of information you have it may take a while." he answered taking a sip.  
  
"But you can find her." Dawn made it a statement.  
  
"We will." Angel said as he entered the kitchen.  
  
"If anyone can it's Angel Investigations, because we help the hopeless." Cordy said as she entered the room, "And from looking at Willow she qualifies as hopeless."  
  
"She's not eating much and she rarely leaves her room." Buffy said staring into her coffee.  
  
"Don't worry we'll help." Angel put his arm round her shoulders and gave them a squeeze.  
  
Cordy looked at her with what could only be described as jealousy.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. Chapter 2 part 1

Title - That's The Deal My Dear 2a  
  
Author - The Sorcerer Bard (q_of_q01@yahoo.co.nz)  
  
Pairing - Willow/Tara (and eventually indications of Buffy/Angel, Cordelia/Angel and Buffy/Spike )  
  
Spoilers - General Buffy season 6 and Angel season 3  
  
Setting - AU, most of the things in season 6 have happened but with some differences. Our beloved couple have split up after Will promised not to do magick but then preformed a spell that backfired. This shows them getting back together. Also Giles didn't leave Sunnydale (over which Anya was very annoyed and still isn't letting him forget it.)  
  
Disclaimer & Author's Note 1 - See part 1  
  
Author's Note 2 - I have no idea how much a pint of beer costs in the US so forgive me if I'm either over- or under-charging people.  
  
Author's Note 3 - I haven't seen any of Buffy S6 or Angel S3 so I could get some descriptions wrong.  
  
Author's Note 4 - Part 2a and Part 2b occur at the same time (this is why they are being sent out at the same time).  
  
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That's The Deal My Dear part 2a  
  
It had been almost three weeks since Tara had seen any of the scoobies and she found that she missed them all. Badly.  
  
"Hey Blondie!" a man from down the bar called to her, "How 'bout another beer!"  
  
Tara sighed as she moved to pour a beer into a pint glass. She had managed to get a job at a biker bar on the outskirts of Los Angeles, the manager had hired her under the impression that she knew some sort of martial art. Tara had told him that she could take care of herself, of course she meant through magick but she saw no need to tell the bar owner that.  
  
"There you go that will be four dollars." Tara said as she sat the beer down in front of the patron.  
  
"Cheers." the man said as he lifted the beer in her direction and then proceeded to down it in one go.  
  
For the last week or so Tara had been wondering if maybe she should have given Willow a bit more of a chance.  
  
"I'm sorry Willow." Tara murmured so quietly that no one heard her.  
  
"Maclay! You're off the clock, go home and get some shut eye." the night bartender called as he came out from the bar's back room.  
  
"Okay, night Ted." Tara called as she left the bar and headed down the road to her small two room apartment. It was a dump but the rent was cheep and the owner had no problem with cats, so keeping Miss Kitty there was no problem.  
  
She had made nearly a hundred dollars in tips tonight so she decided that she would go grocery shopping tomorrow morning.  
  
The sun rose slowly over the LA skyline, showing the smog hanging over the city. Tara looked out the window at the street below.  
  
"I really miss Sunnydale." Tara said.  
  
Miss Kitty meowed and came and rubbed up against her leg.  
  
"Okay I'll go and buy some fresh cat food then." she said as she reached down and scratched behind the cat's ears.  
  
She grabbed her coat and headed to the door, "Stay here and be a good little kitty." she called back to the cat.  
  
She was heading to a small grocery store a couple of blocks over, but about halfway there she got the strangest feeling that she was being watched. She kept glancing over her shoulder but could see no one. Of course she knew that didn't mean anything.  
  
If fact she was so wrapped up in trying to see if anyone was watching her that she almost missed the store.  
  
"Hey Rachel." called the middle-aged man behind the counter.  
  
"Hey Geoff." Tara called back. She had taken to using her grandmother's name as a way of hiding. Hiding from what she still wasn't sure.  
  
Tara went about collecting food and supplies to last her the next few days while chatting idly with Geoff about things like the weather and local politics.  
  
"Tell me Rachel, have you heard anything about a club downtown, by the name of Caritas?"  
  
"No why?"  
  
"Well my daughter went there the other night, apparently the host of the club can read your future or tell you your destiny or something like that."  
  
"Hmm, sound interesting, I might just check it out." Tara replied as she sat her basket down on the counter.  
  
"Okay, let's see now ..." Geoff went about pricing the items Tara was buying, "... That'll be sixty three eighty."  
  
"Thanks." Tara handed over four twenty dollar bills as Geoff packed the groceries into paper bags.  
  
"No worries." he said ringing up the sale on the till and handing Tara the change.  
  
"Geoff?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You undercharged me." Tara said handing the extra ten dollars back.  
  
"Oh drat, I was hoping I'd gotten over that."  
  
Tara just smiled, her thoughts were on what he had said earlier about the club, Caritas.  
  
Dusk was falling when Tara headed out from her apartment to go to Caritas. She had decided that since she had the night off she would check out this host person.  
  
The cab she had called was waiting at the curb outside.  
  
"Club Caritas please." she said as she hopped in.  
  
"Oh one of those people are ya?" the cabbie asked in an accent Tara couldn't place.  
  
"Those people?"  
  
"The ones who are looking for some guidance." the cabbie pulled out into traffic.  
  
"Well I suppose..."  
  
"Bunch of bull if you ask me."  
  
The rest of the trip was in silence. With the cabbie concentrating on the road and Tara thinking about Willow.  
  
"Here ya go girly." the cabbie called as he pulled up in front of a building.  
  
"Thanks." Tara said as she handed him the fare.  
  
The building looked fairly nondescript, until Tara noticed a stair way leading downwards.  
  
She followed it and came across what looked like a metal detector. This didn't really surprise her. What did surprise her was the bouncer. He was over seven foot with purple skin and a moustache down to his waist.  
  
"Step through." he said in a voice like tectonic plates moving.  
  
"It's okay hun." a voice from inside reassured her. Tara looked towards the voice and noticed that it came from a green skinned demon with small red horns on it's head, "Caritas is a violence free zone."  
  
For some reason Tara trusted this demon, so she stepped through and got her first real look at the place. There were tables scattered around the room all facing a stage on which a frog like thing was attempting to sing Jennifer Lopez's 'Love Don't Cost A Thing'.  
  
"Don't let ol' Croaky scare you, this place is a pussycat." the demon told her.  
  
"I ... I came to see the host?" Tara made it a question, by this point they were near the bar, behind which were stacked dozens of multicoloured bottles.  
  
"Well then take a good look." the demon said throwing his arms wide.  
  
"You're the host?"  
  
"Got it in one hun, but you can call me Lorne" he answered with a smile, before turning to the bartender, "Bob, a soda water for the young lady."  
  
"T-thank you."  
  
"You're here for guidance aren't you?"  
  
"Um yes." Tara said accepting her drink.  
  
"Thought so, well you wait here," Lorne said indicating a conveniently empty table next to them, "And I'll be back to help you in a bit, I'd help you now but I'm on in a few seconds."  
  
He began to walk away then stopped and turned back to her, "And the drinks are on the house."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Lorne just smiled and turned away, heading towards the backstage area.  
  
Tara sat at her table slowly sipping her drink and thinking of Willow. It was almost all she could think of recently.  
  
"Give it up for Ribbita!" came Lorne's amplified voice from the stage as he walked on clapping, "And now ladies and gentlemen for your entertainment I will now perform a requested favourite."  
  
With that he launched into a jazzed up version of R.E.S.P.E.C.T.  
  
Tara sat watching and listening. The more she looked the more she decided that this club was the place to be.  
  
When Lorne finished and he had relinquished the mike to a bright orange demon, he made his way to Tara's table.  
  
"You're a witch aren't ya hun?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thought so." Lorne sat down and the bartender brought him a pink drink, "Ah thank you Bob, great bartender, knows how to make brilliant Sea-breezes." he said taking a sip.  
  
"Y-you were going to help me?"  
  
"Yes with your destiny correct?"  
  
"That's what I was told."  
  
"Then that is what I will do, normally I have people perform a number but in this case I'll for go that."  
  
"I can if you want." Tara offered.  
  
"Well okay, hun, maybe later." Lorne took another sip of his drink, "First before I tell you what you want to know I'll give you this titbit ... when love comes through the door grab it and don't let go."  
  
"Okay." Tara sounded a bit sceptical.  
  
"Now you want to know your destiny right?" When Tara nodded her continued, "Your destiny is..."  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Chapter 2 part 2

Title - That's The Deal My Dear 2b  
  
Author - The Sorcerer Bard (q_of_q01@yahoo.co.nz)  
  
Pairing - Willow/Tara (and eventually indications of Buffy/Angel, Cordelia/Angel and Buffy/Spike )  
  
Spoilers - General Buffy season 6 and Angel season 3  
  
Setting - AU, most of the things in season 6 have happened but with some differences. Our beloved couple have split up after Will promised not to do magick but then preformed a spell that backfired. This shows them getting back together. Also Giles didn't leave Sunnydale (over which Anya was very annoyed and still isn't letting him forget it.)  
  
Disclaimer & Author's Note 1 - See part 1  
  
Author's Note 2 - Part 2a and Part 2b occur at the same time (this is why they are being sent out at the same time).  
  
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That's The Deal My Dear part 2b  
  
"So were do we start?" Dawn asked Angel.  
  
"We use our contacts, a witch as powerful as Tara must have been noticed by  
  
someone." he answered.  
  
It was dusk and the team were about to head out.  
  
"I'm coming with you." came Willow's voice from the staircase.  
  
"Well, look at who's up and dressed." Buffy said looking up at her.  
  
"Are you sure you're up to it?" Wesley asked.  
  
"Yes." Willow had her determined look on.  
  
"Wes, you really don't want to argue with her when she looks like that." Buffy stage whispered to him.  
  
Willow shot her a look.  
  
Less than half an hour later the gang were out side Willie's bar as Buffy and Angel strode in and went straight to Willie himself.  
  
"Oh what do you want?" he whined.  
  
"Info." Angel said as he seemed to tower over the rather short stature of Willie.  
  
"On a blonde witch by the name of Tara, heard of her?" Buffy told him.  
  
"Lemme think now ... There was a rumour that the blonde witch that used to hang with ya skipped out of town and over to LA." Willie paused as he thought, "Although I don't know how much stock to put into it, the demon that coughed up that gem was pretty out of it at the time."  
  
"We'll take it." Angel said as he turned and lead the way out.  
  
"I heard she's in LA?" Willow asked.  
  
"That's what Willie says." Buffy told her.  
  
"Then let's go get her then." Cordy said. It seemed to Buffy that she was a little more uptight than when she lived in Sunnydale.  
  
"Angel, you Wes, Cordy and Will go to LA and try and find her, I'll hook up with Giles and Xander and do some digging here in Sunnydale." Buffy said taking charge.  
  
"Okay take care Buffy." Angel said. Buffy noticed that this earned him a venomous look from Cordy.  
  
"You too, I want both my friends back each in one piece."  
  
"They'll be okay." Angel reassured her.  
  
Buffy stood on the front porch of her home and watched Angel pull out of the driveway in his convertible.  
  
"Why does he drive a convertible? He's a vampire it's not like he can drive it during the day." she muttered to herself.  
  
"Coz he's a poofter." came Spike's voice from behind her.  
  
"Spike!" she tried to make it sound like she was annoyed at him, but she just couldn't.  
  
"What luv?"  
  
"Don't just don't I don't really have time right now." Buffy paused, "Plus Dawn's upstairs."  
  
"Are you embarrassed by your creature of the night lover?" Spike teased her.  
  
Buffy hit him in the shoulder.  
  
"You brought a picture?" Wesley asked Willow. They were approaching the outskirts of LA.  
  
"Yea it was taken at the carnival that passed through a couple of months ago." she answered pulling the photo out of her pocket and handing it over.  
  
"Where do you think we should start, Angel?"  
  
"I think first we call Gunn and get him to keep his ears open and then we pay a visit to Oscar."  
  
"Oscar?" Willow asked.  
  
"He's the biggest snitch in LA, everyone knows it but no one can do anything about it because they all use him." Angel said as he pulled over to the side of the road and pulled out his cellphone, "He makes a killing in the business."  
  
Angel dialled a number and waited fro someone to answer, "Gunn, I need you to keep an eye and an ear out for a blonde witch, very powerful and possibly hiding out ... Thanks."  
  
"So where does Oscar live?" Willow asked.  
  
"Right there." Angle said indicating the cardboard box down the nearest alley.  
  
"He lives in a box?"  
  
"Don't ask, he doesn't like answering that question." Wesley warned.  
  
"Oscar!" Angel called.  
  
"Liam, old bean, glad to see you." came a cultured voice from the box.  
  
"We're looking for a witch, blonde about yay tall, and powerful." Angel paused, "Heard of her?"  
  
"Hmm, could be Rachel down at the Bikers Arse."  
  
"Bikers Arse?" Willow asked in amazement.  
  
"Very bad bar just down the street, there was a blonde bartender started a couple of weeks ago." Oscar answered.  
  
"Okay thanks." Angel flipped him a couple of hundred dollar bills.  
  
"Any time Liam."  
  
"Why does he call you Liam?" Willow asked Angel.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it."  
  
"Okay, sorry." Willow looked at Wesley, who shook his head slightly.  
  
"The Bikers Arse is just down there." Angle said indicating the bright red neon bottom lighting the street.  
  
"Yea that's Rachel." the man behind the bar said as Angel held up the photo.  
  
"Where is she?" Willow asked, her voice was a little rushed.  
  
"It's her night off."  
  
"How much for her address?" Angel asked.  
  
"C'mon buddy this ain't a ..." he broke off as Angel slid five hundred dollars across the bar, "... She's staying at the apartment block down the road a bit."  
  
"Thank you!" Willow cried as she rushed from the bar with Cordy hot on her heels.  
  
"Thanks." Angel said as he left followed by Wesley.  
  
Willow and Cordy were almost at the apartment block when the two men caught up with them.  
  
"We'll go in first." Angel said when they reached Tara's apartment.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Angel knocked on the door but got no answer so he raised his leg and kicked hard enough to break the lock but not the door.  
  
From inside there was a meow.  
  
"Miss Kitty!" Willow exclaimed as she swept the cat into her arms and hugged it tightly.  
  
"Well this must be Tara's place then." Wesley said as he entered.  
  
"And she's alive." Angel said as he leant against the barrier that wouldn't let him enter.  
  
"Hey Angel! She's got the address of Caritas." Cordy called from in front of the refrigerator.  
  
"Then I'd say that's where she is right now then." just as Angel finished his phone went off, "Hello? ... She is? ... Okay great, we'll be there shortly."  
  
"Lorne?" Cordy asked.  
  
"Guess whose at the club." Angel said nodding.  
  
"Tara!" exclaimed Willow.  
  
"C'mon." Angel said as he led the way back to the car.  
  
When they were all in he took off in the direction of Caritas.  
  
"Angel, what is this place?" Willow asked as they hopped out of the car.  
  
"It's a bar that serves demons and humans, the host, Lorne, can tell a person their destiny." Wesley answered.  
  
They approached the entrance and began to descend the stairs.  
  
To Be Concluded... 


	4. Chapter 3

Title - That's The Deal My Dear 3  
  
Author - The Sorcerer Bard (q_of_q01@yahoo.co.nz)  
  
Pairing - Willow/Tara (and eventually indications of Buffy/Angel, Cordelia/Angel and Buffy/Spike )  
  
Spoilers - General Buffy season 6 and Angel season 3  
  
Setting - AU, most of the things in season 6 have happened but with some differences. Our beloved couple have split up after Will promised not to do magick but then preformed a spell that backfired. This shows them getting back together. Also Giles didn't leave Sunnydale (over which Anya was very annoyed and still isn't letting him forget it.)  
  
Disclaimer & Author's Note 1 - See part 1  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
That's The Deal My Dear part 3  
  
"Now you want to know your destiny right?" When Tara nodded her continued, "Your destiny is to be exactly who you are now."  
  
"That's no destiny." Tara was disappointed by Lorne's prediction.  
  
"But it will become very clear very soon." he got up from the table and headed towards the bar, Tara followed him with her eyes.  
  
"Angel can't let you in wit dose." the bouncer told the vampire. He was pointing to the wrist mechanisms that currently held a stake in each.  
  
"It's me, Jimmy, you can trust me."  
  
"Rules is rules." Jimmy wouldn't budge.  
  
"Just give them to him Angel." Willow pleaded.  
  
Seeing the look on her face he unclipped the mechanisms and handed them over to Jimmy.  
  
"Ya can get em on the way out."  
  
"Thanks Jimmy." Angel said as he walked past and through the second less obvious metal detector.  
  
Tara was looking at the bar when a movement by the entrance way caught her eye. Walking through were a brown haired man she knew but couldn't quite place, followed by a woman with blonde tinted hair cut to her shoulders, another man who, other than his glasses, looked rather plain. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw who followed them.  
  
Willow looked around the room. She began with the bar then with the table near it then to the tables in the middle distance. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw who was seated at one of the tables looking her straight in the eye.  
  
"Willow!" Tara cried as she practically leapt from her seat.  
  
"Tara!" Willow exclaimed as she rushed forward.  
  
The two women met halfway and practically fell into each others arms.  
  
Willow was sobbing uncontrollably, "I-I missed you."  
  
"And I you sweetie." Tara said in a tight voice.  
  
"True love always wins out in the end." Lorne said as he walked up behind Angel.  
  
"You set this up, didn't you?"  
  
"Angel, Angel, Angel, you've got me all wrong." Lorne said in mock hurt.  
  
"Yea right." Cordy chipped in.  
  
Lorne smiled at her.  
  
Tara guided Willow to her table.  
  
"W-what have you been doing?" Willow asked the blonde witch.  
  
"Well after I left Sunnydale I went on a bit of a um ... Self exploration journey."  
  
"And what did you find out?"  
  
"That I missed you." Tara looked deep into the redhead's eyes, "More than I would have thought possible."  
  
A waiter appeared at the table with two flutes of champagne.  
  
"W-we didn't order those." Tara told him.  
  
"The host sent them." the waiter smiled as he set one flute in front of each of them.  
  
"The host?" Willow asked looking round.  
  
"The green skinned demon talking to Angel, he can read peoples destinies." Tara said indicating Lorne.  
  
"That's why you were here, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes." Tara sounded a little sheepish.  
  
"What did he tell you?" Willow's face held a look of curiosity.  
  
"He said I was destined to be right were I am now."  
  
"Here waiting for you to show up hun." Lorne said as he came up to the table.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I can see in both your auras a streak of each other." Lorne pointed to Tara, "Your aura is a golden color with red streaks through it." he then pointed at Willow, "And your aura is red with streaks of gold through it."  
  
"So you're saying ..." Willow began.  
  
"That you two are supposed to be together forever, you were destined to be a couple."  
  
Willow looked at Tara and for the first time ever she noticed a golden glow  
  
surrounding her.  
  
Tara looked at Willow and for the first time ever she noticed a red glow surrounding her.  
  
The two realised that they were one. They were two people but they were one couple.  
  
"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Lorne moved away from the table.  
  
To Willow and Tara the rest of the room seemed to fall away. Each of them could see only the other.  
  
"I love you." Willow said.  
  
"And I love you." Tara responded.  
  
The two women got up and embraced each other. As they stood there they began to rise off the floor.  
  
"It's a good thing that this is Caritas." Wesley commented as he pointed the pair out to Angel and Cordy.  
  
"Well I don't know apparently they got away with it in the Bronze back in Sunnydale." Cordy said.  
  
"Don't they make the cutest couple you've ever seen." Lorne said as he sat next to them at the bar.  
  
Angel drove the pair back to Tara's apartment to collect her things and Miss Kitty then they were headed back to Sunnydale and Buffy and the rest of the gang.  
  
"Hang on a sec." Tara said to Angel, "Pull over, there's some one I want to say good bye to."  
  
She hopped out of the car and rushed across the road to the grocery store.  
  
"Rachel! I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."  
  
"I'm not here to buy anything, Geoff, I'm here to say good bye."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm going back to where I live."  
  
"Well I'm going to miss you." Geoff had walked round the counter and was standing in front of her.  
  
"Take care Geoff." Tara threw her arms round him and gave him a quick hug.  
  
"You too Tara." Geoff said. His voice had changed, it was now cultured and elegant.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"My name is not really Geoff." he smiled down at her, "It's Oscar."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"I do." came Willow's voice from the store's entrance.  
  
Tara turned to look at her girlfriend.  
  
"He's a S'nitch, a type of demon that is semi-omnipotent." Angel said as he came up behind Willow.  
  
"Liam, so good to see you found her."  
  
"You could have just told us."  
  
"But that would spoil all the fun."  
  
Willow and Tara spent the trip back to Sunnydale covering what had happened to each other over the period they had been separated. Miss Kitty was safely asleep in a cat box between them.  
  
"Ladies, we're here." Angel interrupted them as he pulled up in front of the Summers house.  
  
"Tara!" cried Dawn as she came running down the path to meet them.  
  
"Dawny!" Tara exclaimed as she threw her arms around the teenager.  
  
"Come on Tara." Willow said, she had one of Tara's bags in one hand and the box with Miss Kitty in the other, "Let's get your things back where they belong."  
  
"Okay." Tara grabbed her other two bags and followed the redhead into the house.  
  
Half an hour later all Tara's things were back in their rightful place and Tara was standing in the middle of the room.  
  
"It's great to be back." Tara said.  
  
"It's even greater to have you back." Willow said coming up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist.  
  
Tara twisted round so she was facing Willow. She looked deep into her eyes.  
  
"You're my life, my everything." Tara said as she cupped her hand on either side of Willow's face. Her lips moved forward and pressed against Willow's.  
  
"And wherever you are I'll always be with you." Willow said.  
  
"That's the deal." Tara broke the kiss and smiled.  
  
The End. 


End file.
